The 30th edition of the recently concluded Singapore International Film Festival saw 14 awards being presented at the National Museum of Singapore.
The crowd-favourites were the Asian Feature Film Competition and Southeast Asian Short Film Competition which had nine awards amongst them.
The coveted Audience Choice Award was clinched by local film, Unteachable, by Singapore-born Yong Shu Ling. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
The first-ever local film to win the prized award, Unteachable is about a teacher going against the tide of Singapore’s result-oriented education system. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Asian Feature Film Competition
Scales (Sayidat Al Bahr) by Saudi Arabian filmmaker, Shahad Ameen, emerged as the Best Film among eight other shortlisted feature films under the Asian Feature Film Competition segment. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Scales is a tale about female empowerment and the fight against patriarchy through the lens of a modern Saudi woman. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
The late Filipino actor, Kristoffer King’s role as Dante, a small-time petty crook, won him the Best Performance award in director Raymund Ribay Gutierrez’s film, Verdict. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Kristoffer King’s role as a pathological abuser in Verdict, was the talented actor’s final role in a feature film. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Best Director in this category went to Israeli-born filmmaker, Oren Gerner, for his film, Africa, a nuanced film which was almost autobiographical. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Israeli movie Africa is docu-fictional study of wounded masculinity and the anxiety of ageing. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Passed by Censor by Turkish director, Serhat Karaaslan, the story of a prison guard uncovering a domestic conspiracy, was given the Special Mention for its “engaging screenplay.” Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
The winners of the Asian Feature Film Competition were decided by a jury panel, headed by award-winning Indian filmmaker, Anurag Kashyap. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Southeast Asian Film Competition
I’m Not Your F***ing Stereotype, by Thai filmmaker, Hesome Chemamah, was awarded Best Southeast Asian Short Film out of 18 shortlisted titles at Singapore International Film Festival 2019. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
The jury was blown away by, I’m Not Your F***ing Stereotype, a film about a Muslim girl from Southern Thailand, who falls prey to racism in school. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Burmese filmmaker, Zaw Bo Bo Hein, took home the Best Director accolade for, Sick, a man’s desperate search for money to settle the hefty hospital bills of his friend who is losing the will to live. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Competing against three other local talents, Singaporean filmmaker, Shoki Lin stood out and clinched the Best Singapore Short Film for his film, Adam, on family and identity. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
California Dreaming (Soben California) by Cambodian director, Sreylin Meas, a story of two women from different backgrounds and their encounters at an oceanfront resort, received Special Mention. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
The Southeast Asian Short Film Competition Jury Panel this year was led by award-winning filmmaker Dito Montiel, renowned Filipino filmmaker Monster Jimenez and one of Singapore’s pioneer film and television music composers, Joe Ng. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Sweet, Salty (Ngot, Man) by Vietnamese filmmaker, Duong Dieu Linh, received the Youth Jury Prize after a deliberation by 15 jurors of SGIFF’s Youth Jury & Critics Programme. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Nurturing the next generation of cinematic talents
Singaporean director, Tan Siyou, received the Most Promising Project of the Southeast Asian Film Lab for her film, Amoeba. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Filipino director, Kristin Parreno Barrameda was also awarded the Residency Prize for her film, Bing.Bong.Bang. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Lee Sze Wei from Nanyang Technological University was presented with the Youth Critic Award that acknowledges the contributions of young writers to the film landscape. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Celebrating outstanding contributions and achievements in Asian cinema
Leading Chinese actress, Yao Chen, received the Cinema Icon Award, from Chairman of SGIFF, Sebastian Tan for her inspiring achievements as a creative force in film. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
Master of Japanese cult cinema, veteran filmmaker Takashi Miike was conferred the Honorary Award, which recognises individuals who have made exceptional and enduring contributions to Asian cinema. Photo Courtesy: SGIFF
